Calvin
Massey
, Charlotte
, North Carolina
, United States
Posted on
2020-02-21 7:51:48
“My name is Calvin Massey Jr. from Charlotte, NC and Ive been fascinated by aviation since I was a young child. As a kid I tried to build kites from old newspaper, yarn and twigs I would find on the ground outside. Id take off running down the street hoping the homemade kite would take to the sky. I made poor man rockets but taking drinking straws and stuffing one end with a twig and shoot it up in the air with a rubber band and watch it ascend the fall back to earth. We even tried adding wings but the always broke off. My dad would take me to the runway overlook at our local airport where I loved watching passenger jet takeoffs and landings. Coming from a poor family, I never entertained of owning an RC craft but when I became a young adult with a decent income, I discovered the RC hobby was within my reach. I purchased my first RC plane when I was 22 and Ive been hooked ever since! Ive watched the hobby evolve over time including the demise of the local hobby store at the hands of the Internet supply chain and the introduction of FPV & quad copters (drones). I dont discriminate, I fly it all from traditional fixed wing airplanes and gliders to helicopter and racing/freestyle drones. Its very disheartening to see how this NPRM has magnified the factions and increased division among model aircraft enthusiasts. We all enjoy flying, we just enjoy it differently. If the NPRM goes through as written I afraid my flying days are over. Why is that? Well, let me tell you. If Im relegated to fly at a designated AMA field, Id have to drive very far away from my home, join the AMA to be allowed to fly, pay dues and fees to obtain the keys to the gate and after all of that, not be welcome to fly. The sentiment at my local AMA flying field is no new people and especially no drones. As you can see, the AMA is not very encouraging for me. I currently fly on my own property or over fields at the local high school. Because Im located in a busy city, there will be no places I can fly legally if the NPRM goes through as written. So far, Ive followed all the rules and gotten a HAM radio license and registered my UAS but the NPRM is too burdensome. I will no longer be able to film my son and nephews skateboarding using drones to get awesome aerial shots. I wont be able to film myself while Im out boating and fishing creating interesting content for friends and family to view. There will be no more flying at church to entertain the children and teach them about aviation and how to get in the hobby. The NPRM aims to decimate home built craft. Building and repairing are a major part of this hobby, flying is just a fraction of it. Before you could buy a Ready to Fly, you had to build from a kit. You gained essential fabrication and other skills such as soldering and working on a computer to program flight controllers, learning about radio waves and how video transmitters and receivers work together. RC flight has led me to HAM radio and 3d printing. This is a very educational hobby that is leveraged worldwide. Does the FAA truly need to infringe upon our freedoms to allow corporate America to make a buck? Dont use safety as a guise to allow corporate greed to run rampant. Not a single person has died from FPV. The current single registration and LAANC is sufficient, lets leave it be. Im sure corporations can still turn a profit while sharing the skies.”